Hot on the heels of the rewritten-for-children version of An Inconvenient Truth, the film’s producer and a former advertising copywriter offer another clearly written explanation of this hot topic. Four well-organized sections define the issue and give examples of consequences in the physical world, extinctions in the animal world and what young people can do. A humorous tone, eye-catching graphics and celebrity connections lend pizzazz to this volume, but there is plenty of substance, too. They go into more detail about the problem, introducing new concepts like albedo, ocean stratification and carbon footprint, and describe more consequences including the disappearance of national park attractions and changes in one’s own backyard. The section on actions includes discussion of school and household changes, political actions, automobiles and even careers. The excellent backmatter provides documentation and a variety of resources for further research. This takes up where Gore’s title leaves off, and schools and libraries will want multiple copies of both. (authors’ note with new news, glossary, suggestions for reading and websites, source notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-16)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-439-02494-5
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2007
Categories: CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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Remarking that ``nothing about the weather is very simple,'' Simon goes on to describe how the sun, atmosphere, earth's rotation, ground cover, altitude, pollution, and other factors influence it; briefly, he also tells how weather balloons gather information. Even for this outstanding author, it's a tough, complex topic, and he's not entirely successful in simplifying it; moreover, the import of the striking uncaptioned color photos here isn't always clear. One passage—``Cumulus clouds sometimes build up into towering masses called cumulus congestus, or swelling cumulus, which may turn into cumulonimbus clouds''—is superimposed on a blue-gray, cloud-covered landscape. But which kind of clouds are these? Another photo, in blue-black and white, shows what might be precipitation in the upper atmosphere, or rain falling on a darkened landscape, or...? Generally competent and certainly attractive, but not Simon's best. (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-688-10546-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1993
Categories: CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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Six middle schoolers + mad scientists + Everglades = adventure.
Cat, along with five other children who have suffered head injuries, goes to what is billed as the pre-eminent neurological center in the world, the International Center for Advanced Neurology, located in the Everglades. At first, she receives excellent care, but she soon overhears an ominous conversation that leads to her discovery of the awful truth: The terrible Dr. Ames and his colleague intend to implant the children with the DNA of long-dead scientists, including Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer, Marie Curie and even Leonardo da Vinci. Worse, they learn that Trent, who has already received a transplant, has virtually become Thomas Edison. Trent not only has Edison’s DNA, he has Edison’s century-old memories and speech patterns. Cat and her friends seize an opportunity to escape, relying on Trent’s technical expertise and “inherited” memory to evade the bad guys. As she outlines in her author’s note, Messner follows good science in her descriptions of head-injury treatment; she also gives teachers opportunities to explore the differences between hereditary and acquired characteristics in her more fictional genetic “science.” Her characterizations are solid and age-appropriate; Trent, as young Thomas Edison still avidly working on alternating currents, supplies some laughs.
With plenty of thrills, friendship, some humor, intrigue and an easy good-guys/bad-guys escape plot, young readers will find lots of fun here. (Science fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8027-2314-7
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
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